Reading Sylvia Dickey Smith

I'm currently reading and enjoying immensly her second book, "Deadly Sins, Deadly Secrets." Once again, Sidra Smart is dealing with murder deep in South East Texas. Thanks to being very sick, I have not read as fast as I normally would have and as of tonight, I am still a long way from finishing the book so I can review it. However, though I have not finished it, I can easily safely say this is one of those rare cases where the second book is much better than the first.

Which is not to say the first book was any slouch. It wasn't. Since the current book is the second in the series, I thought I would run my review again now to refresh the memory. So, below is that review.

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Among other authors I had the pleasure of meeting at HHCC last June in Dallas was Sylvia Dickey Smith. I had a pretty good mental image of her from online items and in person she was even better. Then, I read her book. Apparently there are very dark things lurking in her mind and I never had any idea.




Dance On His Grave
By Sylvia Dickey Smith
http://www.sylviadickeysmith.com/
L & L Dreamspell
http://www.dreamspell.com/
2007
ISBN # 978-1-60318-006-1
Large Trade Paperback
250 Pages

After the sudden death of her brother Warren due to a traffic accident, Sidra Smart comes to the small southeast Texas town of Orange to permanently close his private investigator business. Recently divorced after thirty years of a mind numbing marriage, Sidra knows absolutely nothing about private investigations or running her brothers business with the intriguing moniker of “the Third Eye: Intuitive Investigations.” While she isn’t sure what she is going to do with her life she knows that she isn't going to take over and run Warren’s business and she isn’t going back to her old life as a preacher’s wife.

Somewhere during the course of that thirty year marriage that started when she was so very young, she lost her identity. It is something she wants back and just isn’t sure how to get it back. She isn’t alone with that problem as the visibly agitated blonde woman makes clear by showing up while Sidra is paying bills and clearing mail in Warren’s old storefront office. The woman’s name is Jewell Stone and Warren had just barely opened a file for her. With Warren dead, Jewell expects Sidra to take over and help her. Jewell is haunted by nightmares of a naked woman who she thinks might have been killed by her father, Roy Manly back when Jewell was a child. If the memories that come out of Jewel and her emotional pain aren’t disturbing enough, while Jewell cries and talks, Sidra sees a small blue flame appear in the air over Jewell’s head for a few seconds. Despite all the reasons not to get involved, Sidra eventually begins to investigate a sinister world of child abuse and possible murder far different than her experiences of bake sales and back stabbing church politics as a preacher’s wife.

This is an intense read with frequent and very graphic recounts of horrible child abuse and molestation. Such scenes are intense and very disturbing and will no doubt upset a number of readers. Author Sylvia Dickey Smith details the horrific abuse over and over again to various parties throughout the entire novel while occasionally adding a little new information at the various tellings. After awhile, the graphic abuse and molestations become a bit much and could distract readers from a compelling story.

This is a shame because the main story is quite strong and would move the story along very well if allowed to do so instead of being stopped by the detailed abuse materials. The novel revolves around a thirty year old murder case and accompanying arson in the small town of Orange as well as Sidra's efforts to find herself. During the course of investigating the case, we learn quite a lot about Sidra, her relationship with her former Pastor and husband as well as the congregation, a fellow private investigator George Leger, Sidra’s rather eccentric Aunt Annie, and numerous other characters along with a strong slice of life in that shadowy land full of mystique and mystery where Texas and Louisiana meet.

Evil walks in many forms in this intense novel. Full of suspense, interesting characters and a heroine trying to find herself once again, the novel delivers on all levels while disturbing repeatedly with the constant scenes of abuse and molestation. Few readers will find this a relaxing read but all will certainly find it suspenseful, intense, and not easily put down.


Kevin R. Tipple © 2007-2008